Month: January 2007

Our ideas are becoming mainstream ideas. Our approaches and assumptions will be mainstream approaches and assumptions. They are being absorbed at such a deep and irrevocable level that they’ll become cliches.

The phenomenology of reading is important, when it comes to a novel that is 1085 pages long. With a very long novel, you need to sink into the rhythms of the prose; these rhythms have to insinuate their way into your dreams.

This article evolved from a conversation with a designer friend of mine when we tried to work out the smallest number of films we’d have to remove from existence to destroy the game industry in its current state. [Kieron Gillen]

Recently finished: Judas Unchained – Peter F. Hamilton – Here’s the problem with 1000+ page genre epics – the culmination of the story can’t compete with the journey of reading. And having spent 2370 pages getting there, PFH conducts an intergalactic genocide in a couple of sentences. Ho-hum. Also, once you’re done reading, the plot holes start filling with the muddy waters of doubt, so it’s best just to move swiftly on to something completely different. And much, much shorter.

Just finished: Going Under – Kathe Koja – Well, this was shorter. 1100 pages shorter, in fact. With far, far less words on each page, and some slightly sinister design tweaking of the chapter numbers. The writing was lovely, although it’s left me feeling unsettled. Though that could also be down to the cheesey fish bake thing I had for dinner. Also, my Dad came home drunk tonight. Hurrah!

Currently reading: Permanence – Karl Schroeder

Next on the list: Kafka on the Shore – Haruki Murakami

Book of the year so far: Blindsight – Peter Watts

“Whenever I find my will to live becoming too strong, I read Peter Watts.” –